


Breathe

by YukiSetsu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cave-In, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Small One, sorry lance, this probably isn't realistic lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 12:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12481928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSetsu/pseuds/YukiSetsu
Summary: What started off as a small mission ends up with Lance trapped in a cave and fighting for his life. Keith's the only one there, and he has to move fast to get help.





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> HERE WE GO BOIS was not satisfied with the amount of lance in S4 so time to write it all out >:) basically just going to write and post lance hurt/comfort whenever i see a prompt that inspires me whoop

Keith couldn't understand how things went so bad so quickly.

It had been a simple reconnaissance mission for a supposedly uninhabited planet, checking for possible resources or hidden Galra bases. The planet itself already looked run down, with nothing but barren ridges and plains all across the surface. But their focus was on the hundreds of caves that littered the area they landed near. The fact that the caves were only situated in that radius of land was pretty suspicious, so Allura sent them down to take a look.

Coran suggested splitting up to make the search go faster. “The caves don't look that stable, so a brief scan is fine,” Shiro had said. “Contact us on the comms if anyone finds anything.” It was easy enough, and Keith marched off in one direction, eyeing the nearest cave warily. Maybe he'd have his bayard out in case.

It was only then he heard the extra footsteps behind him. Keith glanced over his shoulder, holding back a sigh when he spotted Lance trailing along, arms crossed and face scrunched in disdain.

“Is this planet creepy, or is it creepy?” Lance grumbled, kicking at a tiny pebble as he passed.

Keith faced forward again, walking just a bit faster. “Why are you following me?”

He could feel Lance roll his eyes even without turning back around. “Did you not hear me just now? This places creeps me out, so let's look around together.”

“That wastes more time.”

“There are hundreds of caves, man!” Lance's footsteps grew a bit quicker, trying to keep up with Keith's pace. “Pretty sure all of them are going to be basically the same. Besides, haven't you heard the saying 'two heads are better than one'?”

“Not when it's your head,” Keith grumbled.

“I heard that!” Lance snapped. They'd reached the mouth of the cave, and Keith marched inside without a second thought. “And anyways, we're both inside now, so we might as well work together.”

He wasn't going to win this one. Keith blew out a breath, eyeing the ceiling. Even with his visor on, he could see little bits of it crumbling down, sending a trail of pebbles falling to the ground every so often. “Alright, fine. Just stay close and keep your eyes peeled.”

At least now, he didn't feel like he needed to have his bayard out. Not yet.

He heard Lance sigh, his tone tinged with relief. “You got it. Staying close. Eyes are peeled.”

But the further they ventured into the cave, Keith had to agree with Lance. The place was dark, way too quiet, and the ceiling was getting lower with each step. It didn't seem like they'd find anything useful, and he didn't want to go too deep to see if the place really was inhabited.

Keith stopped, feeling Lance nearly collide against his back with a yelp.

“Dude, _warning_.” Lance hissed, voice sounding uncomfortably loud given the small space.

And then he felt it. A slight vibration under his feet, sending a noticeably larger amount of pebbles tumbling down. The sudden hitch in Lance's breath made it clear that he heard it too. Keith started to turn around, only for a hand to grab his wrist and pull him along instead.

“Nope, we're done here. Nothing to see.” Lance rambled, voice a tad bit strained. “We're definitely not walking in this far with the other caves.”

Another rumble, this time a bit louder. Keith jerked to a stop the same time Lance did, the sudden panic rooting them in place until the noise faded away. This was sounding bad.

Keith was the first to move again, using Lance's death grip on his wrist to pull him along this time. “Let's... walk slowly. So we don't disturb the ground too much.”

Lance didn't reply, but he let himself be dragged along, to Keith's relief. He walked as gently as he could, hoping that Lance kept quiet a bit longer. He didn't want to risk the vibrations from their voices possibly causing another disruption.

Thankfully, Keith could already see the entrance up ahead, and the dreary gray atmosphere outside never looked more welcoming. He bit back the urge to sprint for it, focusing instead on keeping his gait steady and light. They were almost out. It would be fine.

He was so focused on staring at the opening that when the cave rumbled loudly again, he barely had time to process it before something shoved him forward. It was so sudden that he fell to his knees, catching himself with his hands as the world seemed to crash down behind him. He scrambled to his feet, whipping around just as the noise died back down. All that greeted him was a pile of rock so high it nearly touched the ceiling of the cave. So dark he could've mistaken it for a wall, or a dead-end.

Oh no. No no no no.

“Lance?” Keith took a step forward, the panic welling up in his chest at the following silence. “Lance! Can you hear me?!”

He didn't bother controlling his noise level. He needed to make sure where Lance was. His hands hovered next to the pile of debris, unsure if he should just start pulling out rocks. What if it triggered an even bigger collapse?

Keith heard something then. It sounded like a small groan, and he nearly felt his legs give out in relief. “Lance! Please talk to me.”

“K..Keith.” The voice was barely audible, but it was enough.

“Yeah, I'm right here. Can you move?”

“No.”

Another burst of panic. Keith forced himself to take a breath. He needed to stay calm. “Did you hurt your leg? Or is part of your body stuck under the rocks?”

“N-no,” Lance's voice was a bit clearer, but still muffled. “Keith, I... I'm trapped.” His voice was rising in terror with each word. “I can't move at all.”

_Shit._

For a second, Keith's mind went blank. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Lance was trapped under rubble and he didn't know how to get him out. What would Shiro—

Keith blinked, the realization hitting him like a bus. Shiro. He needed to contact the others. What was he thinking? He activated his comm line, holding back the urge to start pacing as he did so.

“Shiro? Guys? Can you hear me?” Static. “Shiro!” Nothing.

Was the cave messing with the connection? Then he'd need to go outside and try again. But that meant leaving Lance alone. The thought itself was already horrifying to Keith, he couldn't imagine what Lance would think.

But he had to.

Keith knelt down, trying to approximate where he heard Lance's voice. “Lance, I'm going to have to head outside and try contacting them. The cave seems to be blocking off the connection. I'll be right back.”

“What?” Lance's voice was almost shrill. “Keith, wait, please don't--”

“I'll only be a few ticks, I swear.” Keith cut in desperately. He didn't have time. _Lance_ didn't have time. “I promise I'll be back. But I need help to get you out of there. I'm going to bring Shiro here, and the others. They're all coming and we're going to help you out as fast as we can.”

For a tense moment, all Keith heard was the faint sound of ragged breathing. And then came a quiet “okay”.

It made Keith's chest hurt. A lot. “We're going to get you out. I promise.” He got to his feet, clenching his hands hard to keep them from trembling. “Lance, I know it's hard, but you have to try and conserve your breathing. To save oxygen.”

It sounded nearly impossible even to him, but the last thing Keith wanted was for Lance to fall unconscious before they got him out...or worse. He forced himself not to imagine it.

“Okay,” Lance repeated, a tremor in his voice.

Keith swallowed hard, feet already moving him towards the entrance. “I'll be right back.” And with that, he burst into a sprint towards the opening. He tried not to step too heavily, but he couldn't stop himself from going any slower. He had no time.

Within seconds, he was outside, surrounded by miles and miles of emptiness. But the sudden spaciousness felt like a weight off his chest, as if allowing the air to rush in properly again. He caught his breath, looking around wildly for a sign of his teammates. He couldn't spot anyone, and the dusty air didn't make it any easier.

He tried the comms again, feeling his heart skip when he didn't hear the static this time. “Shiro? Shiro!”

It was Coran who answered. “Keith? There you are! It seems like the ship can't track your locations once you enter the caves. Must be bad reception. Did you find--”

“Coran, Lance is trapped.” Keith didn't waste any time. He needed to get back to Lance. “The cave we were in collapsed and he—he's stuck underneath and he can't move. I need help getting him out and--”

“Keith?” Shiro's voice crackled in. “Thank God, the comms weren't working when I was in--”

“Shiro, please, there's no time.” Keith's voice was probably shaking at this point, but none of that mattered. “Lance is trapped under a lot of rocks and he can't move and we need to get him out _fast_. I—I had to run outside because of the connection but I'm going back in after this call. Please just get here quickly.”

“Coran, send me Keith's location.” Shiro sounded calm, but Keith could still hear the strain in his tone. “I'll be there right away.”

“Already transmitting them.” Coran responded, just as serious. “I'll alert the others once I can get their location, they'll be there immediately.”

“I'm on my way, Keith.” Shiro said, the heavy footfalls in the background making it clear he'd already started sprinting.

Keith nodded to no one in particular. He was already turning back into the cave. “Thanks. I'll be inside. We're just straight ahead. Be careful when coming in.”

He didn't even wait for a response, already hearing the connection go dead once he was inside. He felt the panic welling back up as he spotted the wall of rock up ahead, words clogging up his throat. By the time he'd reached it, he was straining to listen for any noise.

“Lance?” Keith started carefully, dropping to his knees once more. “Can you hear me?”

There was a low sound, like someone was trying to choke down a sob. “Keith, I wanna get out.” Lance whimpered. The tears were thick in his voice, and Keith almost felt his own eyes sting.

“I know, I want you out too.” He said, fighting to keep his voice even. Stay calm, stay calm. “Shiro's on his way, and Hunk and Pidge will be here as soon as they can.”

“I don't—I don't like small spaces.” Lance started shakily. “After what happened with the cryopod, I can't... It's hard to breathe, Keith.”

Cryopod? Keith had no idea what he was talking about, and he didn't know if he wanted to hear. “Lance, I need you to--”

“Please get me out, please.” Lance wasn't listening, his breaths getting shorter and shorter. “I can't breathe, it's too small here, I want to get ou--”

“Lance!” Keith said urgently. To his relief, it went silent. “Listen to me. Just listen to my voice. Okay? Don't think about anything else. Focus on what I'm saying, alright?”

There was nothing for a long moment, but then Lance spoke again. “Y-yeah.” His voice was still trembling, but he'd calmed down. A little bit, at least.

Keith gripped his hands, resisting the urge to start digging through the pile himself. How far was Shiro? “Okay. Just work on breathing. Don't take deep breaths, take slow ones. Can you do that?”

“...Yeah.” Lance murmured.

Keith rambled about anything he could to keep Lance distracted, talking about how help would arrive soon, how stupid caves were, how he'd spar with Lance whenever he wanted. It might have only been a few ticks, but they felt like the longest moments of Keith's life.

When he finally— _finally—_ heard Shiro, Keith had already jumped to his feet, eyes wide and chest heaving as he spotted the figure moving down the cave faster than he had. Shiro slowed to a stop right next to the debris, eyeing it with obvious worry. He knelt down towards it in a similar fashion to what Keith had been doing just before.

“Lance, it's me.” Shiro was calm, steady. Definitely more comforting than how Keith had probably sounded. “Keith and I are gonna start working on getting you out now. Pidge and Hunk will be here soon.”

“Okay.” Lance's voice was incredibly small, but the relief was evident.

Shiro stood back up, giving the pile a once-over before turning to Keith. He didn't look as calm as he sounded. “We have to be careful. If we move too rashly, the whole thing could collapse even more.”

Keith felt like he was swallowing sand. “I know.”

They worked on picking off the smaller rocks and carefully placing them to the side first. They focused around the area where they guessed Lance was, taking turns voicing their progress for his peace of mind. That part had been easy enough. The problem came with the larger rocks, the ones that fit snugly within each other. They needed to tread cautiously with those.

“Keith! Shiro!” It was Hunk, dashing down the path with Pidge close at his heels. They were moving so fast they nearly crashed into the pile itself had they not stopped in time.

Hunk was already scrambling to the ground before Keith could get a word out. “Lance, buddy. It's Hunk. I'm here. We're getting you out right now.”

“... Hunk.” Lance's voice was barely audible now, which had Keith's stomach clenching nervously.

Hunk nodded vigorously, hands feeling across the rocks, looking for any loose ones he could remove. “Yeah, it's me. Stay awake for me, will you? You'll be out of there in no time. And I'm going to give you the world's biggest hug once you are.”

Lance might have made a noise in response, but Keith didn't know if he imagined it. Either way, they needed to move fast. He stepped around Hunk, reaching up and grabbing for the rocks near the top that wouldn't cause much disturbance if they were gone. Shiro was already doing the same, easily picking off a large one and setting it on the ground. Pidge was waiting with arms open when Keith turned around to put another one down, and he immediately handed it to her instead, letting her place them while he reached for another. It was an effective relay, and with Shiro and Hunk's help, they got a large chunk of the top removed fairly quickly. They only focused on the side that Lance was under, leaving the other half of the pile as high as it originally was. It still looked sturdy enough, thankfully.

Hunk had been talking to the Lance the whole time, just like how Keith had been. It was mostly a repeated cycle of “you're going to be okay” and “we're almost there”, but it was enough.

The problem was that Lance had gone quiet.

Although he didn't let it show in his voice, the growing panic was evident in Hunk's expression. He was moving quicker, grabbing and dropping rocks in an almost reckless manner. Keith started on some of the lower rocks that looked displaced, trying to estimate where Lance exactly was. He decided on an approximate area, working on moving rocks from there.

Shiro and Hunk were still working on moving heavy rocks from the top, and finally, Keith was able to pick out a rather large piece of rubble to reveal a small gap. He couldn't see anything inside, but it was a start. He'd move down from there. He wiggled out another rock, the gap widening a bit more.

There was a buzzing noise next to him before Keith caught the blue glow of Pidge's shield wedging itself into the crack. She glanced down at him, face grim.

“This might keep it from possibly collapsing more until Hunk and Shiro get the rocks on top off.” She said, steadying her posture. It was way better than nothing. Keith nodded stiffly, setting back to work on digging more rocks out.

How long had it been? He hadn't bothered to keep track, but a tick seemed to drag on for an eternity. Even Hunk had trailed off in his banter, completely focused on just getting rocks out of the way. Soon enough, he heard Pidge's shield deactivate and three more pairs of hands were reaching around him and digging. He glanced up, one side of the rock pile no longer looming over him. He felt a rush of admiration at their quick work, but shoved it down for later. They were so close.

And then, he found Lance. It was just his helmet and part of his hands, but it was Lance. Keith huffed out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, hearing the others yell Lance's name almost simultaneously.

“Do you think we can pull him out from here?” Pidge asked, horror lacing her voice.

Keith leaned down, trying to get a better view. Lance was facedown, his hands curled up on both sides of his head. He reached in and tried to get a hold of one of his hands, tugging gently to no avail. His fist was trembling violently, though, and Keith grasped onto that discovery like a lifeline. He was probably still conscious, but more of the rocks must have shifted their weight onto him during their excavation. It must be taking all of his energy just to keep himself from being weighed down further.

“We need to get some more rocks off. I think he's still awake.” Keith said, shifting his grip onto Lance's wrist. “I'm gonna pull him out as soon as I feel like I can.”

Shiro nodded, already in the midst of dragging another rock off the pile. Hunk lit up when Keith mentioned Lance being awake, resuming his nonstop words of comfort as he and Pidge joined the effort in clearing the debris. Keith didn't dare move from where he was crouched, holding tight onto Lance as best he could. Almost there.

“Keith, try pulling now. Hard.” Pidge called out, urgent.

Keith didn't hesitate, reaching his other hand in so that he could grab both of Lance's forearms before he yanked as hard as he could. To his surprise, Lance seemed to come out almost too easily, and the excess force sent Keith falling on his back as Lance tumbled on top of him.

_He was out._

For a moment, Keith lay there, almost in disbelief, before he scrambled upright. Hunk was reaching to help them both up when suddenly Lance wheezed in an enormous breath, followed by another and another. Keith grabbed Lance by the shoulders, trying to sit him up when the latter started coughing violently.

“Lance! Slow down, buddy.” Hunk was instantly on the ground with the two, rubbing large circles on Lance's back. “Breathe slowly, you're alright. You're out. You did so well.”

Lance almost didn't seem to recognize what was happening, only tensing up once he heard Hunk's voice. He lifted his head sluggishly, almost painfully. His eyes were glazed over, but they flickered with recognition when they met Keith's.

“Keith...” He croaked, breathing still ragged.

It felt like all of the pressure had been lifted off of Keith's chest as he nodded vigorously. “It's me. We got you out. You're gonna be okay.”

The words finally seemed to sink in as Lance's eyes widened slightly before they started to shine with tears. He seemed completely drained, seeing as how Keith's hands on his shoulders were the only thing still holding him up. Lance sucked in a breath, starting to tremble again.

“I thought I wasn't... I didn't think I'd see you guys again.” Lance whispered, ducking his head as tears streaked new paths under his helmet.

Pidge dove forward, wrapping her arms around Lance's side in a fierce hug. There were tears in her eyes, too. “Of course we'd get you out. Even if we had to dig this whole stupid cave up, we'd get you out.”

A slight shudder passed through Lance's frame, and he weakly lifted a hand onto Pidge's arm. He looked so tired, and Keith suddenly wanted to get him back on the ship and in a bed to rest.

Hunk was busy sniffling next to him, and he glanced at where Shiro was standing, expression filled with immense relief. He caught Keith's stare, grinning weakly before tilting his head towards the entrance of the cave.

“I think it's best if we head outside first. I don't think anyone wants to spend any longer in this place. Or on this planet, for that matter.”

That was for sure. Keith nodded, waiting until Pidge extracted herself from the hug and got to her feet before he carefully shifted around, draping Lance's arms across his shoulders to carry him on his back. He got up easily, following the others as they briskly walked back outside, holding their breaths the entire time. Everyone collectively sighed once they finally found themselves back among the dreary terrain and chalky air, hearing their comms crackle back to life as Coran and Allura paged in, almost sick with worry.

Keith let Shiro do the talking as they headed back towards their Lions. Lance was still trembling pretty badly against Keith's back, but he didn't comment on it. An experience like that would freak anyone out.

They walked a bit more in silence when Lance piped up, voice still sounding a bit hoarse.

“Good thing I came along with you to scout, huh?”

Keith grimaced. “No. You almost died.”

“But if you'd been alone, you could've gotten trapped with none of us knowing.” Lance mumbled. “Then you might have actually died.”

Keith didn't have a response for that, feeling his chest squeeze painfully at the prospect of being in Lance's position with no one to help. Definitely had lower chances of survival. But still, it didn't mean he'd rather have Lance—or anyone—risk their life for his like that.

“Besides,” Lance started, tucking his chin against Keith's shoulder. “if I recall correctly, I now have the privilege of sparring with you whenever I want. Get ready to have your butt kicked multiple times.”

A small laugh manged its way out of Keith's mouth, mostly out of disbelief. He couldn't believe Lance had the energy to be funny at the moment. “Yeah, well, that's starting tomorrow. You're getting all the rest you can get today.”

Lance made a slight noise of affirmation. His trembling had lessened. It was still noticeable, but it had lessened. Keith paused to adjust his grip, noticing Shiro and others waiting for him a few feet ahead. Hunk decided to meet them halfway, staring at Keith worriedly.

“Are you good? Want me to carry Lance?” He asked, arms at the ready.

“No, I'm fine. We're almost there, anyway.” Keith said. He mostly just felt the need to personally make sure Lance was safely back in the Castle himself, but he didn't mention that part.

Hunk nodded, smiling warmly before he moved to let Keith continue walking. He matched their pace, already beginning to fuss over Lance at his side. They finally reached where Shiro and Pidge had been waiting, and Shiro gave Keith's shoulder a quick squeeze as they all started to walk together.

“You did great, Keith.” He said.

Keith managed a small grin. “So did everyone else.”

Lance would be alright. He'd make sure of it. And so would the others.

**Author's Note:**

> i made a tumblr so that i could find h/c prompts more easily hhhHH i add the link to the prompt that inspired me to write each story on my posts there so feel free to use it for your own story or browse around for more! or just come and message me about anything ^^


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